Meta Removes Face-Recognition Code From Smart Glasses App After WIRED Investigation
Tags Consumer · AI
Meta deleted face-recognition system code from the Meta AI companion app for its smart glasses following a WIRED investigation by reporters Dhruv Mehrotra and Dell Cameron. The code is confirmed gone from the latest version of the app, but Meta has not explained why it was removed or whether the feature will return. The removal raises questions about what biometric data the system was capable of collecting from smart glasses users.
Technical significance
The removal of face-recognition code from a consumer wearable device highlights the ongoing tension between AI capability and privacy regulation. Meta's refusal to explain the removal leaves open questions about whether the feature was ever active for end users, whether it was removed preemptively ahead of regulatory action, or whether it was only in development. For the smart glasses market, this incident may accelerate calls for hardware-level privacy controls.